§ 33. Mr. John H. Osbornasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will refer the policies of the South Yorkshire County Council, in connection with direct labour and competitive tender, and the decision about the Sheffield-Rotherham link, to his working party on direct labour.
§ Mr. FreesonThe working party's general review of the operation of local authority direct labour organisations will cover tendering procedures. I do not, however, intend to refer specific cases to it.
§ Sir W. Elliottasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many direct labour departments of local authorities there are in England and Wales employing 25 or more persons.
§ Mr. ArmstrongAccording to statistics collected by my Department there were 447 direct labour departments of local authorities in England and Wales which employed 25 or more operatives on construction work in April 1975.